Pillai in Manipur, holds talks on Muivah issue

Union Home Secretary G K Pillai today held discussions with the Manipur government and senior officials on the situation arising from the economic blockade by Naga students and NSCN-IM leader Thuingaleng Muivah's attempt to enter the state to visit his ancestral village.

indiaUpdated: May 11, 2010 20:12 IST

PTI

Union Home Secretary G K Pillai on Tuesday held discussions with the Manipur government and senior officials on the situation arising from the economic blockade by Naga students and NSCN-IM leader Thuingaleng Muivah's attempt to enter the state to visit his ancestral village.

Official sources said the meeting discussed the counter blockade by some valley-based organisations preventing transport of essential items to hill districts as a protest against the All Naga Students' Association Manipur (ANSAM)- sponsored economic blockade on national highways.

Besides Pillai, who reached Imphal by a special flight from Delhi on Tuesday, top officials from army, CRPF, Assam Rifles and BSF also attended the meeting.

The state government had approached the Centre to provide security on the Imphal-Silchar National Highway 53 so that trucks loaded with essential items could ply without disruption since the ANSAM was blockading the Imphal-Dimapur National Highway 39.

In Delhi, Union Home Ministry sources said Pillai will return on Wednesday night. They, however, refused to reveal the nature of Pillai's visit.

The Manipur government has opposed Muivah's visit saying it would disturb communal amity since the NSCN-IM has demanded a 'greater Nagaland' comprising Naga-inhabited areas in neighbouring states. The idea has been turned down by the Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments.

Manipur had clamped prohibitory orders and deployed the police in strength at the Mao checkgate on the inter-state border to prevent Muivah from entering the state.

Muivah, who has been camping in Viswema village of Manipur since May 5 on Monday said, "Our patience is running thin. We decided to defer (the visit) at the request of the PMO, but we will not wait indefinitely. Anyway, I will go to my birthplace, no one can stop me."

Meanwhile, stocks of petrol and essential commodities were running low in valley areas of Manipur with the three week old blockade by the Naga students in the hill districts preventing entry of trucks, as a counter blockade began today to stop supplies to the hills.

ANSAM launched the blockade to protest the state government's proposal to hold elections to autonomous district councils (ADC) in the hill areas on May 26 on the grounds that not enough funds were given to them.

The stock of petrol in the state would last for seven to 10 days only, government spokesman N Biren told mediapersons here.

Official sources said normally between 250 and 300 trucks loaded with essential items ran on highway, but because of the blockade, no vehicle plied for more than a week now.